Air India has announced a full fare refund and additional travel vouchers for passengers affected by a 30-hour delay on its New Delhi to San Francisco flight. The gesture comes as an apology for the significant inconvenience caused to travelers.

In a letter to affected passengers, Air India stated, “Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience that you have undergone enroute your journey to San Francisco. We completely understand that the past 24 hours were difficult and thank you for your patience during this period.”

The flight, originally designated as AI-183, was diverted to Krasnoyarsk International Airport (KJA) in Russia on July 18 due to technical issues. The airline emphasized that passenger safety was their prime consideration throughout the ordeal.

To address the situation, Air India dispatched a relief flight in collaboration with relevant authorities. The flight, re-badged as AI 1179, finally arrived safely in San Francisco on Saturday, nearly 30 hours after its initial departure from New Delhi.

“While we cannot obliterate the experience that you have undergone, as a gesture to convey our sincere regrets, we will fully refund the fare for your journey and will incrementally provide you a voucher for future travel on Air India,” the airline announced.

During the unexpected stay in Krasnoyarsk, Air India arranged for third-party support to assist passengers, as the airline does not have staff at KJA. Upon arrival in San Francisco, passengers and crew were escorted to the terminal building for further processing.

(Inputs from ANI)